Refreshed Volvo XC90 brings electrification across the board

Volvo has revealed that its refreshed 2022 XC90 SUV is on its way to Mzansi, but more important than the gently-massaged design is the new mild hybrid system that the automaker says will spread throughout its range locally.

Volvo’s ambitions for electrification have escalated, however. The automaker had already confirmed that all of its models will eventually be electrified by the middle of the next decade; now, it’s giving another example of how it’ll do that. That’s the Volvo B-badged powertrains.

They’re mild-hybrids, effectively using smaller batteries and electric generator-motors that can recuperate energy generated while the vehicles are braking. That power can then be used to offset the internal combustion engine during acceleration. The B-badged Volvos aren’t expected to have any electric-only range, but Volvo says that it could still reduce fuel consumption by up to 15-percent, along with cutting emissions.

The current XC90 T5 will be replaced by the new XC90 B5 while the current XC90 T6 will be replaced by the new XC90 B6. The two new models will be joined by the XC90 T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid.

While there are no radical changes to the exterior styling of the XC90 (an evolutionary approach with subtle changes to the design language is used instead), there are a number of new and changed interior features.

A new brake-by-wire system will balance the regenerative power system and the traditional mechanical brakes.

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Papi Mabele

Papi Mabele has a marketing background, he is a digital marketing expert with extensive experience in launching and building global brands in the emerging markets. Papi is also an avid tech writer, enthusiast and all round tech junkie. As a freelance writer and analyst he has been numerously published in Popular Mechanics (SA), GQ South Africa, Premier Magazine, Driven Magazine, Bloem News, Courant, The Weekly, Enthooze Magazine and PiE magazine amongst others.